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CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF LANSING
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Courage & EnCourage
228 North Walnut Street
Lansing, Michigan 48933-1122
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517-342-2596
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Facsimile: 517.342.2468
caverart@comcast.net
ENCOURAGE SUPPORT GROUP MEETING
Roman Catholic Diocese of Lansing Chapter
When: Sunday June 26, 2011 from 2:30 to 4:00pm
Where:
Holy Spirit Catholic Church
9565 Musch Rd.
Brighton, Michigan 48116
Directions: US-23 to Silver Lake Rd. Exit (exit #55) West on Silver Lake Rd. to Whitmore
Lake Rd. (a short distance). South on Whitmore Lake Rd. to Winans Lake Rd.(a three way stop). West
on Winans Lake Rd. approximately one mile to entrance marked with a sign for Holy Spirit
Cemetery and Holy Spirit Rectory and School. Turn left. We meet in portable classroom
number four. Look for Encourage Meeting signs.
“Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful. Send forth your Spirit and
renew the face of the earth.” May you have a blessed and Holy Spirit filled Pentecost.
Please note that although you are receiving the letter at the usual time the
meeting itself is a week later. We moved the June meeting to the fourth Sunday (the
to accommodate family gatherings on Father’s Day.
We have enclosed two important communications from Fr. Paul Check, the
Director of Courage, regarding events and news from the international Courage office
in Norwalk, CT. We would urge you to prayerfully consider attending the annual
conference. The conference is more than simply an information gathering experience.
It is a life changing event. Those who attend will pray, celebrate liturgy, and form
relationships that will bless them for years to come. Every conference that we have
attended has made an impact in our lives and ministry. Please read over the two
enclosures and consider attending.
A dear friend that we met a few years ago at a conference sent the following
quote from Blessed John Paul II. We think it is applicable for our experiences with
Encourage in helping us to confront the difficult challenges we face in our situation,
and that you face in your situation.
There is, nonetheless, a consistent witness which all Christians must daily be
ready to make, even at the cost ofsuffering and grave sacrWce. Indeed, faced with
many c4/jIculties which fidelity to the moral order can demand, even in the most
ordinary circumstances, the Christian is called, with the grace of God invoked in
prayer, to a sometimes heroic commitment. In this he or she is sustained by the virtue
offortitude, whereby---as Gregory the Great teaches---one can actually “love the
djfflculties ofthis worldfor the sake ofeternal rewards.”
Remember please that we unite to pray each Thursday to the Sacred Heart of
Jesus in reparation for our sins and the sins against human sexuality such as same-sex
behavior and abortion. Reparation is making amends for the wrongs committed
through our sinful condition. Additionally, we pray as intercessors for all our loved
ones who will, like the prodigal, someday return home. We generally follow the
model given to us by St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in the booklet Holy Hour of
Reparation published by CMJ Marian Publishers. If you would like a copy of the
booklet, we have a small supply in our office or you can order one by calling the
publisher at 1-888-636-6799. “That the necessity of reparation is especially urgent
today must be evident to everyone who considers the present plight of the world,
‘seated in wickedness’. The Sacred Heart of Jesus promised to St. Margaret Mary that
He would reward abundantly with His graces all those who should render this honor
to His Heart” (Pope Pius XI Encyclical Miserentissimus)
Please note if you cannot attend the June 26th meeting, our next regular
meeting is July 17th.
For more information regarding our meetings, or to talk about the issue of
same-sex attraction in your lives, call our Diocesan office at 517-342-2596 or email
us at caverart(11!comcast.net
We look forward to meeting with you. Let us remember, however, to always
respect the right of each to complete confidentiality.
Trusting in Jesus,
Bob and Susan Cavera
“Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer.”
Romans 12:12
OURAGE
A
ROMAN CATHOLIC APOSTOL4TF
Dear Friends in Christ,
I am pleased to send you the brochure for this year’s annual conference, returning to
Mundelein on August 4-7. We will dedicate our time together to the memory of Fr. John
Harvey, OSFS, in gratitude for his spiritual fatherhood. I have asked several of our speakers
to share their reflections on Fr. Harvey’s influence in their lives and his role in leading
Courage and EnCourage for almost three decades.
As you will see, we are blessed with a wonderful lineup of speakers and participants. His
Eminence Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke, Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, will offer the
opening Mass, and he will give the opening talk that evening. The Cardinal was a close
friend of Father Harvey, going back to the days prior to his being made Bishop of La Crosse,
WI. His Eminence is one of Courage’s most faithful and strongest promoters among the
Church’s shepherds.
Four other prelates will also loin us. Bishop Thomas Olmstead of Phoenix will offer Mass
on Friday and give a talk that morning. Longtime former Courage chaplain Bishop John
LeVoir of New Ulm, MN will offer Mass on Saturday, and Bishop Thomas Paprocki of
Springfield, IL will offer the closing Mass on Sunday. Longtime former Courage chaplain
Bishop Mark Seitz, auxiliary bishop of Dallas, will also join us on Thursday and Friday. Fr.
Benedict Groeschel and Dr. Richard Fitzgibbons will also be with us.
We have worked hard to keep the cost of the conference as low as possible: $350. If you
need a scholarship, please apply for consideration by writing a letter to the main office. If
you would like to provide a scholarship, please let me know or simply send your gift to the
office. May God reward your generosity.
Since my last letter to you in December, I have tried to give as many talks as possible,
especially to clergy. Here are some of the venues: Sacred Heart Seminary, Detroit; Catholic
Charities, Diocese of Arlington, VA; Clergy Study Day, Diocese of Covington, KY; Clergy
Study Day, Diocese of Lafayette, LA; Conference for Bishops, National Catholic Bioethics
Center; Presbyteral Council, Diocese of Springfield, IL; Permanent Deacon Study Day,
Archdiocese of Hartford; Faber Center for Ignatian Spirituality, Marquette University;
Priest Retreat, Longlea, VA; St. John Fisher Seminary, Stamford, CT. I have been edified by
the response of many brother priests and seminarians. I was also a guest on EWTN’s Life
on the Rock and for two 30-minute segments on a national radio program called,
Spiritualityfor Today.
Upcoming clergy study conferences in June will include the Archdiocese of Kansas City, KS;
the Diocese of Kansas City-St Joseph, MO; and the Diocese of Winona, MN. Whenever
Courage is invited for a clergy study day, the plan is always to address the question of
same-sex attraction from four perspectives: theological anthropology (the natural moral
law and Church teaching on homosexuality); psychological sciences (presented by an MD
or PhD who works with Courage); witness talk (a testimonial by a Courage member); and a
talk specifically about Courage.
8 LEONARD STREET
NORWALK, CONNECTICUT
06850
•
203.803.1564
•
WWW.COURAGERC.ORG
On June 11, our business manager, Jerry Lambert, will be ordained a permanent deacon for
the Diocese of Bridgeport, and he will continue to work for the apostolate, in addition to his
regular parish assignment, as an ordained minister of the Church. This will be a great
blessing for Courage. Please pray for him. Jerry has done a superb job in all of the financial
and operational aspects of the CT office.
I also want to thank Michelle Willis for her great work with our new website. We have
many plans to continue to expand its content. And though he did not make the move to the
new office in CT, Angelo continues to be an invaluable help as a part-time contractor. I
cannot imagine not relying on his experience and expertise. Also, he and Jerry work closely
together on many tasks.
Please think back for a moment to the day before you heard about Courage or EnCourage.
You were very likely searching for answers, understanding, compassion, guidance and
help...in short, the pastoral charity of the Church. Sadly, we know that many people are not
aware of Courage and EnCourage, for a variety of reasons. To address that challenge, we
are undertaking two projects.
•
First, EWTN has invited Courage to produce a S part series (30 minute segments)
covering material very similar to what we present at a clergy study day, and to
include EnCourage.
•
The second project, which I believe holds considerable promise for reaching many
people, is a documentary film. We are still considering the form and scope of this
work, and in time I will be grateful for suggestions and assistance, as I desire that
the finished product reflect a lived-experience of Courage and EnCourage members
that will offer hope for many other people. We want as wide an audience as
possible.
Of course, the apostolate’s standards of trust and confidentiality will always be preserved.
Only those who wish to be part of this project will be included. At the same time, I believe,
as Fr. Harvey did, that the testimonials of our members are among the most powerful
means the Church has to engage the world in a complex, controversial but very personal
discussion, and to bring the light of truth and the grace of peace to many minds and hearts.
Please pray for Our Lord’s guidance and Our Lady’s mantle of charity, purity, and humility.
Courage also continues to depend upon your financial support. Will you please consider a
gift of whatever God’s providence will allow?
I look forward to seeing you in Chicago.
In Christ,
Fr. Paul N. Check
Director, Courage
FR. JEFFREY KEEFE, a Conventual Franciscan friar, was
ordained a priest in 1952 (A.D. !) After teaching high school
biology in Trenton NJ and Staten Island, NY, he undertook
graduate studies in clinical psychology at Fordham
University, interned at Bellevue Psychiatric hospital in NY
City, and obtained a doctorate in 1965. Since then he has
taught adolescent psychology at Notre Dame University,
and pastoral psychology at the Franciscan theologate,
Rensselaer, NY where Fr. John Harvey was also an adjunct
professor. Fr. Keefe has been involved with Courage
since its founding in 1980, and a member of the National
Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality
since it began in 1992. He is diocesan director of Courage
in Syracuse NY. He has served in several hospitals and
out patient services, has a private practice, and has
done psychological evaluations of candidates for several
dioceses and religious communities. Currently he serves
as spiritual director for North American Lourdes Volunteers
and is a member of the Medical Bureau at the shrine in
Lourdes, France.
Timothy G. Lock, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist and a
member of CatholicTherapists.com which offers an online
referral base of qualified Catholic therapists. Dr. Lock was
trained by the late Dr. Peter Rudegeair in psychotherapy
to help individuals with same-sex attraction; from that
training, Dr. Lock became a trusted referral source for Fr.
Harvey and Courage. Dr. Lock serves on the Courage
Board of Directors.
BISHOP THOMAS OLMSTED is the fourth and current
Bishop of Phoenix, AZ having previously served as
Bishop of Wichita from 2001 to 2003. Bishop Olmsted
was ordained to the priesthood on July 2, 1973, for the
Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska. He then served as an
associate pastor at the Cathedral of the Risen Christ until
1976, when he began his doctoral studies in Rome. He
earned a doctorate in canon law, summa cum laude from
the Pontifical Gregorian University in 1981, and served as
an official in the Vatican Secretariat of State from 1979 to
1988. During his time in Rome, he was also an assistant
spiritual director at the Pontifical North American College.
FR. PAUL SCALIA is the Courage Chaplain for the Diocese of Arlington, VA, and serves as the Chairman of the
Courage Board of Directors. He is the Pastor of St. John
the Beloved Catholic Church in McLean, VA. Fr. Scalia is
the founder, editor and publisher of The Fenwick Review
at the College of Holy Cross. He has written for numerous
Catholic publications.
SEAN STEVENS, Ph.D. is a Catholic clinical psychologist
with ten years of experience in private practice. He has
taught at the college, archdiocesan, and parish levels
on the integration of psychology, Scripture, and Catholic
spirituality, and their application to SSA (Same Sex
Attraction) and other client issues.
MAIL FULL PAYMENT & REGISTRATION FORM TO:
University of St. Mary of the Lake
Conference Center-Registration
1000 East Maple Avenue
Mundelein IL 60060-1174
847-566-8290 (phone)
847-566-7971 (fax)
E-mail: night@usml.edu
REGISTRATION DEADLINE
Both full conference attendees and commuters must send
in their registration and payment OR complete on-line registration themselves by WEDNESDAY, JULY 27th, 2011.
We will not be accepting last minute/new registrations at
the conference itself. Please Note: Overnight rooms fill up
quickly. We strongly recommend you register early.
AIR TRAVEL
If traveling by air, please make your reservation to
Chicago’s O’Hare Airport.
The official Airline of this year’s Courage/EnCourage
Conference is Continental Airlines! Continental Airlines
offers discounts off published fares of 2% to 15%.
Purchase your ticket online at www.continental.com and
SAVE AN ADDITIONAL 3%.
To book your reservations, go to www.continental.com,
enter your origin and destination, travel dates and provide
the following code: ZKFX859373. ENTER THIS CODE in
the Offer Code Box. There are no fees for booking online
at www.continental.com. The code is case sensitive so
please use CAPITAL LETTERS.
CONTINENTAL MEETINGWORKS
(Please Note: If you book by phone, there will be a service fee.)
(800) 468-7022 for reservations in USA or Canada
8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. CST
*For reservations outside the toll-free area, contact the local
Continental Reservations Office.
Meeting Name: Courage International, Inc.
Please Note: You are not obliged to use Continental
Airlines – please feel free to use whichever airline gives
you the best deal!
TRANSPORTATION BETWEEN THE AIRPORT AND
CONFERENCE CENTER
USML will prearrange round trip rides between the
Airport and the Conference Center through North Shore
Limo Service. DETAILED FLIGHT INFORMATION IS
MANDATORY FOR THEM TO DO SO:
AIRLINE NAME: _________________________
FLIGHT NUMBER: _______________________
DATE & TIME OF ARRIVAL: _______________
DATE & TIME OF DEPARTURE: ____________
Register on line and the limo fee will be pre-paid. This
is a separate charge from the registration fee. (There is a
separate link for North Shore Limo registration).
However, you may also contact North Shore directly to
arrange your own transportation: (847) 816-7474. You will
be responsible for paying the driver for your own private
or shared ride.
COURAGE
CONFERENCE
2011
COURAGE INTERNATIONAL, INC.
8 Leonard Street
Norwalk, CT 06850 U.S.A.
Phone: (203) 803-1564
E-mail: NYCourage@aol.com
CourageRC.org OR CourageRC.net
WE
DEDICATE
THIS
YEAR’S
CONFERENCE
TO
Fr. John F. Harvey, OSFS
Founding Director Of Courage
April 18, 1918 - December 27, 2010
A Spiritual Conference for Members
and Friends of Courage and EnCourage
MUNDELEIN ILLINOIS
THURSDAY AUGUST 4th - SUNDAY AUGUST 7th
C ON F EREN C E RE G I S T RAT I ON F OR M
THURSDAY AUGUST 4th
All personal information will be kept confidential by the
Courage Office & USML.
3:00 pm –4:30 pm -- ARRIVAL AND REGISTRATION
4:30 pm – Free Time
5:00 pm – MASS: Main Celebrant Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke, Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura
6:00 pm –DINNER
7:30 pm –OPENING KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke
9:00 pm –CONFESSION (All Priests) & Charismatic Prayer Gathering: Led by Fr. James Livingston
If you build it .... they will come!
Title Name:____________________________________
Address:______________________________________
_____________________________________________
Phone :_______________________________________
E-mail :_______________________________________
AL L ATTENDEES A RE TO CO M PLETE
A REGISTRATI O N FO RM
O R REGISTER THE M SELVES O N- LI NE
To register online, go to the Conference Page of the
Courage Apostolate Web Site: http://www.couragerc.org.
CONFERENCE ATTENDEE CHOICES: All Meals Included
___ FULL CONFERENCE ATTENDEE: Includes over
night accommodation at USML on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Full Cost is $350.00 per person.
___ C O M M U T E R (Doesn’t stay overnight):
Please circle which day(s) you will attend:
Thursday: 1/2 day
Cost: $40 U.S.
Friday: full day Cost: $60 U.S.
Saturday: full day
Cost: $60 U.S.
Sunday: 1/2 day Cost: $40 U.S.
___ FRIDAY: Only attending Pastoral Seminar for Clergy There is no cost if attending only this seminar.
A good will offering is welcomed! ( includes lunch)
Note: Do you have any special needs (i.e. medical
dietary requirements, wheelchair accessibility, sign
language interpreter)?
_____________________________________________
All payments must be in U.S. funds. Checks or money
orders should be made payable to: USML
__I prefer to use my credit card. Please charge my:
Visa __
MasterCard__
Discover__
AMEX___
Account # _____________________________________
Expiration Date: ________________________________
Signature:_____________________________________
Please Write Clearly
FRIDAY AUGUST 5th
7:00 am –Spanish MASS (Homily in English)
Fr. Don Timone, Courage/EnCourage Chaplain
(Archdiocese of NY)
7:30 am – BREAKFAST
8:30 am – Free Time
9:00 am –SPEAKER: Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop of Pheonix, AZ, “Blessed Are Those Who Believe: Faith and Fidelity Today”
10:00 am --WORKSHOPS:
• Fr. Jeffrey Keefe, OFM Conv., Ph.D.
“The Hidden Path to Acting Out”
• Courage Men With EnCourage Parents
• Courage Women With EnCourage Parents
• Pastoral Seminar for Clergy and Persons
Engaged in Pastoral Ministries: Fr. Benedict J.
Groeschel, CFR, Dr. Rick Fitzgibbons,
Fr. Paul Scalia & Witness*
*This seminar will break for Mass and lunch and then continue until 5:00 pm
11:30 pm – MASS: Main Celebrant - Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop of Phoenix, Arizona
12:30 pm –LUNCH 2:00 pm –SPEAKER: Sean Stevens, Ph.D.,
“Catholic Prayer & Piety: A Devotional Approach of Healing Gender Indentity”
3:30 pm – WORKSHOPS:
• EnCourage Spouses Meeting
• Andrew Gill, Th.Psy.D., “Restoration of Gender Through Empathy”
• Dr. Tim Lock, “Remembering Fr. John F. Harvey”
• To Be Announced
5:00 pm –SPEAKER: Bob & Susan Cavera, EnCourage “A Tribute to Fr. John F. Harvey, OSFS,
Co-Founder Courage International, Inc.”
6:00 pm –DINNER
7:00 pm –Free Time
7:30 pm --SPEAKER: Msgr. John Essef “Nothing Is Impossible With God”
9:00 pm –CONFESSION (All Priests)
9:00 pm – ADORATION: All Night - First hour will be a Holy Hour of Reparation SATURDAY AUGUST 6th
6:45 am – BENEDICTION: Fr. Paul Scalia
7:00 am – Spanish Mass (Homily in English)
Fr. Don Timone
7:30 am – BREAKFAST
8:30 am – Free Time
9:00 am -- SPEAKER: Fr. Benedict J. Groeschel, “Catholic Morality: Yes or No?”
10:15 am --SPEAKER: Dr. Rick Fitzgibbons,
“Self Mastery to Self Giving: Addressing Anger and Sadness”
11:30 am – MASS: Main Celebrant Bishop John M. LeVoir, Bishop of New Ulm, Minnesota
12:00 pm -- LUNCH
1:30 pm -- Free Time
2:00 pm -- WORKSHOPS:
• Courage Men’s Meeting led by Fr. James Knapp, SJ (Courage Chaplain St. Louis)
• Courage Women’s Meeting led by Sally R. (Courage Moderator, Archdiocese of NY)
• EnCourage Meeting led by Bob and Sue Cavera (EnCourage Moderator, Diocese of Lansing, MI)
• Group Leader’s Meeting, Fr. Paul Check (Executive Director Courage International)
3:30 pm – Free Time
6:00 pm – DINNER
7:00 pm – Free Time
7:30 pm – TESTIMONIES: Angelo and Tina
9:00 pm – 11:00 pm SOCIAL: Music, Food, and Beverages
SUNDAY AUGUST 7th
7:00 am – Spanish MASS (Homily in English)
Fr. Don Timone
7:30 am – BREAKFAST
9:30 am – SPEAKER: Fr. Paul N. Check:
CLOSING ADDRESS,
“The Triumph of ‘Failure’ ”
11:00 am – MASS: Main Celebrant Bishop Thomas J.
Paprocki, Bishop of Springfield, Illinois
12:00 pm --LUNCH (Boxed Lunch)
2:00 pm –Departures
ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS
RAYMOND LEO CARDINAL BURKE is an American
Cardinal. He is the current Cardinal Prefect of the Supreme
Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, having previously served
as Archbishop of St. Louis (2003–2008) and Bishop of La
Crosse (1994–2003). From 1980 to 1984, Cardinal Burke
studied canon law at the Pontifical Gregorian University in
Rome, where he received his license (1982) and doctorate
(1984). He then returned to La Crosse and was named
the Moderator of the Curia as well as the Vice Chancellor
of the La Crosse Diocese. In 1989, Pope John Paul II
assigned him to be the first American Defender of the
Bond of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura,
the highest ecclesiastical court in the Catholic Church.
Bob and Susan Cavera have been instrumental
in starting Courage chapters throughout the Diocese of
Lansing, Michigan. They also facilitate a monthly EnCourage
group and correspond with EnCourage members, keeping
them connected and informed about issues of same sex
attraction. The Caveras have given workshops at the
Annual Conference for several years, and they faithfully
assist the Central Courage Office throughout the year.
FR. PAUL CHECK is a priest of the Diocese of Bridgeport,
CT and was ordained in 1997. Bishop William E. Lori
appointed him to be the chaplain of Courage in December
2002. In 2008, he was elected to succeed Fr. John F.
Harvey, OSFS as the Executive Director of Courage
International, Inc.
MSGR. JOHN ESSEFF is a priest of the Diocese of
Scranton, PA, and is a well known retreat master and
spiritual guide to many souls.
DR. RICK FITZGIBBONS is a clinical psychologist from
Philadelphia, an adjunct professor at John Paul II Institute
for Marriage and Family Studies in Washington, D.C., and
a consulter for the Holy See’s Congregation for Clergy.
He is a longtime friend and associate of the Courage
Apostolate.
ANDREW GILL, Th.Psy.D. is a Doctor of Theocentric
Psychotherapy and holds a license as a professional
counselor and chemical dependency counselor in Texas.
He currently has his own private practice and works with
two agencies that serve those with HIV/AIDS.
FR. BENEDICT GROESCHEL, CFR is the “godfather”
of the Courage Apostolate, having introduced Fr. John
F. Harvey to Cardinal Terrence Cooke in 1980. Benedict
Joseph Groeschel, CFR is a priest, retreat master, author,
psychologist, activist, and host of the television talk program
Sunday Night Prime with Father Benedict Groeschel, which
is broadcast on the Eternal Word Television Network. He
is the director of the Office for Spiritual Development for
the Catholic Archdiocese of New York as well as associate
director of Trinity Retreat and the executive director of The
St. Francis House.